This invention relates to micro-machined structures and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for manufacturing micro-machined structures.
Micro machined structures are used to provide components for use in, for example, strain gauges, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. Typically such components are manufactured by micro machining a silicon substrate using a sequence of photolithographic processes including the steps of masking and etching preselected sections of the silicon substrate to produce a three dimensional structure. The three dimensional structures produced from the silicon substrate are often extremely fragile and can easily become damaged during the manufacturing process.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least minimizing the limitations of the conventional manufacturing processes for producing micro machined structures.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a micro machined apparatus is provided that includes a support structure, one or more temporary bridges coupled to the support structure, and a mass coupled to the temporary bridge.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a micro machined apparatus is provided that includes micro machining a support structure coupled to a mass using one or more temporary bridges in a substrate and severing the temporary bridges.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a micro machined structure is provided that includes providing a top silicon wafer and a bottom silicon wafer, forming a cavity in the bottom surface of the top silicon wafer, bonding the top silicon wafer onto the bottom silicon wafer, etching a portion of the top surface of the top silicon wafer, and micro machining a three dimensional structure in the portion of the top silicon wafer above the cavity having one or more temporary bridges for coupling the three dimensional structure to the remaining portions of the top silicon wafer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a micro machined structure is provided that includes providing a top silicon wafer and a bottom silicon wafer, forming a cavity in the top surface of the bottom silicon wafer, bonding the top silicon wafer onto the bottom silicon wafer, etching a portion of the top surface of the top silicon wafer and micro machining a three dimensional structure in the portion of the top silicon wafer above the cavity having one or more temporary bridges for coupling the three dimensional structure to the remaining portions of the top silicon wafer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a micro machined structure is provided that includes providing a top silicon wafer having an internal layer of silicon dioxide and a bottom silicon wafer, forming a cavity in the bottom surface of the top silicon wafer, bonding the top silicon wafer onto the bottom silicon wafer, etching a portion of the top surface of the top silicon wafer, and micro machining a three dimensional structure in the portion of the top silicon wafer above the cavity having one or more temporary bridges for coupling the three dimensional structure to the remaining portions of the top silicon wafer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a micro machined structure is provided that includes providing a top silicon wafer having an internal layer of silicon dioxide and a bottom silicon wafer, forming a cavity in the top surface of the bottom silicon wafer, bonding the top silicon wafer onto the bottom silicon wafer, etching a portion of the top surface of the top silicon wafer, and micro machining a three dimensional structure in the portion of the top silicon wafer above the cavity having one or more temporary bridges for coupling the three dimensional structure to the remaining portions of the top silicon wafer.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a device including a micro machined structure is provided that includes temporarily coupling the micro machined structure to a support structure using one or more temporary bridges, decoupling the micro machined structure from the support structure by severing the temporary bridges and coupling the micro machined structure to a substrate.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of protecting a resilient coupling for coupling a mass to a support structure is provided that includes coupling the mass to the support structure using the resilient coupling and one or more temporary bridges and severing the temporary bridges.